Bridgeton pioneer., 1887-07-14
MCGOWAN g. NICHOLS, Publishers.
BURNED TO THEGROUND
Hilyard's Can House at Shiloh
Totally Destroyed.
The Work of an Incendiary.

At twenty minutes past two o'clock
a. m. Monday L. T. Glaspey, who lives
on the road from Shiloh to RoadstoWn
discovered flames coming from the
roof of Hilvard's canning factory OF
Shiloh. which is situated just on the
Fast side of the Seven Day Baptist
church of that place. In a moment
more he heard the cry Of fire and he
knew the flames had been discovered.
In a short time he was on the spot with
several other persons, but the flames
had such a start that all efforts to stay
their course were useless. The fire too
was burning so fast that it was impos-
sible to go into the building and save
what was there. In about two
hours the factory had been entirely
consumed with the exception of few
charred embers which lay smoking
upon the ground. The boiler stood
alone of all that was previously new
canning factory.
Mr.. Glaspey said that when he first
saw the flames it was in the entire sec
ond story, and it must have been that
the fire was started in that part of the
building.
The work was undoubtedly that of
an incendiary, and one too that knew
something about the can house. The
person or persons who did this heinous
deed. must have crawled up on the
roof of the shed on the west of the can
house, and faced window of the
second story. 1t is then quite proba-
BILE the gasoline that is kept in large
quantities in the can house, was called
into use and fired. This of course,
spread very fast, and did the work
entirely satisfactory to the fiends who
did the deed.
In conversation with manager West
of the Can Works, a PIONEER reporter
was told that the house was just fin
ished this Spring and cost about 81 1000.
The floor in the first story was laid
but one day last week. The can makers
have been at work in small shed,
and one day this month $4,000 cans
were removed to the burned building,
and since then over 10000 more cans
have been made and the whole lot
are now ruined.
The engines and tanks of the can
house had not yet been put in the
building, but it is more than proba-
bic that they are already shipped, as
we'll as a. large amount of tin that had
been ordered.
This is the second canning house of
Mr. Hilyard that has been burned, and
both were on the present site. Mr..
Hilyard has no intimation of who did
the deed, as he has not to his knowl
edge an enemy in the place. He has
but recently moved to Shiloh, and had
intended to make it his permanent
home. The works when in active
operation employ about fifty persons,
and many who had expected to work
there the coming season stood looking
sorrowfully at the smoking ruins this
morning.
A young man who lives near the can
ming house said that at two o'clock in
the morning he drove past the house
but all was right. He ungeared his
horse and while at the watering trough
noticed the light and saw that it was
the can house on fire. He heard no
voices or saw anybody about the place.
The residents of Shiloh, one and all,
condemn the action and extend their
sympathy to Mr.. Hilyard. He has not
as yet made up his mind what he will
do with his business. 1t is possible he
may rebuild. The loss was only
partially covered with insurance, and
about $4,000 worth of property was de-
stroyed.